The Best Seat in the House

Even though Boyle County boys soccer coach Cris McMann was ejected in the Rebels’ win Wednesday over Taylor County, he won’t be penalized further for that decision.

McMann said in an e-mail today that the referee elected not to submit the required paperwork on the ejection to the KHSAA, effectively meaning that he had changed his mind. McMann said neither he nor the school received any explanation on the decision, but the more important thing is that he won’t have to sit out any games.

A KHSAA rule change that took effect this year requires coaches who are ejected to sit out two games (previously it was just one) and complete an online sportsmanship course. McMann would have been the first local coach in any sport to receive this penalty, but that isn’t the case now.

McMann said in his e-mail that he also wanted to clarify that the two yellow cards given to the Boyle bench that resulted in his ejection — similar to the bench drawing two technical fouls in a basketball game — weren’t the result of any actions or outbursts by the players. “We try very hard to make sure our players and coaches show class and sportsmanship,” he said.

Boyle County and Danville fans will be blended together again Saturday as the two teams play in the same bowl for the second straight week.

They’ll play in the Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic at Corbin, where Boyle will face Pikeville and Danville will face host Corbin. It’s the first trip for Boyle to this particular Pigskin Classic, while Danville played out one previous two-year contract there, beating Bryan Station 42-6 in 2001 and losing 32-26 to Lexington Catholic in ’02.

It’s also the first meeting between Danville and Corbin, two of the state’s best small-school brands, since a 2000 clash in Danville’s Constitution Bowl, which the Admirals won 35-6.

Jim McAlister of The News Journal of Corbin points out in a preview story (linked below) that the four teams in the Pigskin Classic have combined for 22 state championships.

Corbin is a trip worth making if you follow either team. I covered two years’ worth of Redhounds games at Campbell Field in another life, and it would definitely be on my list of Kentucky’s must-see high school stadiums. It isn’t as spacious or comfortable as Admiral Stadium, where the Danville and Boyle fans had plenty of room to spread out last week, but its original concrete grandstand on the south side drips with history, and the place has easily the best football atmosphere in southeast Kentucky.

Parking is usually at a premium, however, and it could be even more of a problem Saturday due to a 5:30 p.m. wedding at a church adjacent to the Campbell Field parking lot. There’s also a “Moonbow Nights” event taking place in downtown Corbin throughout the day and evening Saturday that will include some street closures, though that shouldn’t be a problem for fans approaching the stadium from the north.

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Here are the links to previews of this week’s games:

• Bourbon County at Casey County: Hal Morris’ story at amnews.com (scroll down).
• West Jessamine at Garrard County: Morris’ story at amnews.com.
• Madison Southern at Lincoln County: Morris’ story at amnews.com (scroll down); Wendy Haun’s story from The Richmond Register.
• Lafayette at Mercer County: Morris’ story at amnews.com; Mike Fields’ metro preview from the Lexington Herald-Leader.
• Boyle County vs. Pikeville (Saturday): Larry Vaught’s story at amnews.com; Jim McAlister’s story in The News Journal of Corbin.
• Danville at Corbin (Saturday): Vaught’s story at amnews.com; Jim McAlister’s story in The News Journal of Corbin (it’s the same story as linked in the Boyle item).

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I took two hits and nearly took two more in the six games in last week’s picks, but I’m still remaining optimistic about a couple of local teams this week:

• Casey County over Bourbon County.
• Garrard County over West Jessamine.
• Lincoln County over Madison Southern.
• Lafayette over Mercer County.
• Boyle County over Pikeville.
• Corbin over Danville.

Last week: 4-2. Season: 8-3 (.727).

Two of the region’s top players, Frankfort running back Quan Weaver and Pulaski County quarterback Chris Muse, will apparently miss the rest of their senior seasons with knee injuries.

Frankfort coach Craig Foley told The State Journal that Weaver has an torn anterior cruciate ligament, although Foley said he is pursuing a second opinion. Muse suffered the same injury without contact in Pulaski’s game last week, coach Johnny Hines told the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Weaver rushed for more than 2,000 yards last year and has committed to Louisville. Muse totaled more than 3,000 passing and rushing yards in 2008.

Week three of soccer’s eight-week regular season is under way, and the Danville boys are the only one of the 12 Advocate-area boys and girls teams that is still undefeated.

The Admirals improved to 4-0 on Monday with a win at Taylor County in their first 29th District game of the season. They defeated Pikeville and Somerset in week one to win the 12th Region All “A” Classic, and they shut out Madison Southern last week. They’ll next play at Lexington Christian on Wednesday and host Southwestern on Thursday.

(UPDATED Thursday, Sept. 3: Danville lost 2-1 to Lexington Christian on Wednesday for its first defeat.)

The Mercer County boys were knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten Monday, falling to 4-1-1 with a home loss to Boyle County.

The best records for local girls teams belong to Boyle County (2-1) and Danville (2-1-1).

By the way, the boys and girls games between Boyle and Danville, which have frequently been played as a Labor Day weekend doubleheader in recent years, will be Sept. 26 at Boyle.